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And now she’s gone.
All I have now are my demons.
Chapter 4
Rose
The carpet stops working about two miles out of Dark Falls. That’s not too bad. I can walk that easily, so I start moving. Maybe the enchantment is tied to the original owner or something. I’m not sure, and I don’t know very many spells, so I can’t exactly get it up and working on my own.
I ditch the little magic rug in some bushes and get going. Perhaps I should leave it on the side of the road so its owner can find it easily, but I’m not really a fan of shifters trying to make a buck off unsuspecting villagers who just want to make their way through the forest.
That’s not very fair.
It’s not a nice way to play, now is it?
There are so many poor faes who live outside of the big city that charging them to get closer to the city basically feels like robbery. I pass around the outskirts of Dark Town, careful to stay out of sight, and then I keep walking toward the capital city.
Dark Falls is surrounded by a huge wall. Seriously, the wall is enormous. It’s made of stone and interlaid with watchful eyes, so it’s not only impenetrable, but unapproachable, as well. In order to get into the city, you need to be able to prove you’re a fairy and that you’re a citizen. Most everyone in Dark Falls has a charm they can show to prove they belong. I don’t know how they’re issued or how you acquire one. All I know is that I don’t have one.
It’s fine, though.
I’ve got something better.
The amulet should be good enough to get me by the city guards. If I play my cards right, I’ll be able to slip inside undetected. No one will notice that I’m not from the city or that I’m not even a proper fairy. Dark fairies aren’t exactly known for being beautiful. Oh, there are rumors and stories that we’re meaner and more vicious than ordinary faes, but that’s simply not true. A dark fairy has dark wings and when we mate, we mate for life.
Regular fairies can have as many partners as they like.
Not us.
When a dark fae takes a lover, she takes him forever. Good or bad, right or wrong: they’re linked. Bound. Together. In some ways, it’s very romantic. In other ways, it’s horrifying to think about. I don’t want to necessarily be linked to the first guy I fall for. What if he’s the wrong guy? What if it’s the wrong time or the wrong situation? What if we mate and then we still choose to go our own ways?
My sisters always warn me that I over-think things. They say I’m too cautious. They think that I consider all of the possibilities and focus too much on what could go wrong instead of enjoying what could go right.
I think they’re crazy.
I suppose that if I sleep with someone and it doesn’t mean anything, I could go my own way. There’s no physical bond that will hold us together, but my heart will always crave him. It’s the curse of the dark fae. We’re so powerful in so many ways, except in this one. The link will be broken in death. I suppose that’s why so many dark faes kill their partners.
I approach the guard and spin my amulet. He doesn’t seem to notice me as I make my way past him. I slip into the city completely undetected and I can’t help it. I breathe a huge sigh of relief once I’m past the security checkpoint.
And then that’s it.
I’m Dark Falls.
I’m in the city.
It’s been a long time since I was in Dark Falls. It’s been years. My mother brought me here as a tiny fae, but that was long ago. After the king’s wife died, everything changed. He started developing his playboy persona and the city was put on lockdown. No one really knows why things changed. Hell, nobody even knows how she died. Maybe he killed her.
A lot of fairies think that he killed her.
There are vendors and shops and people mulling about in the busy city streets. The roads are packed as I make my way down them. I push past people shopping, selling, and buying. There are citizens shouting, haggling, and having fun. Everything smells delicious and a wave of hunger washes over me, but I’m not here to eat.
I’m here to find a wizard.
I close my eyes and try to remember Martin’s exact directions. I make it to the end of the first row of vendors and shops, and then I turn right where the road intersects with a row of houses. I keep moving, then, and I’m careful. Cautious. I shove my hands in my pockets as I head down the street.
I don’t notice anyone lurking around here. Strange. I push past some people crowded aroun
d and keep walking. Then I take a left. A right. Another right.
